In a Tizzy

Category: Vancouver

  • HoCho Fest Day 15: Aloha Sweetie

    Another lovely day in the homeland – very chilly, but bright and sunny. It was a nice day to go have brunch with the first year family, and then go home for a few hours to celebrate the birthdays of more family!


    JA’s brunch.
    My brunch! Oatmeal cooked in apple juice. 

     As I was very tight on time, I went to snag a hot chocolate I had been dodging because of its white chocolate content (despite how sweet I once knew that flavour to be); however, today I returned to Terra Breads for their “Aloha Sweetie” festival item.

    Barry Callebaut White Hot Chocolate with hibiscus flower.
    Served with mountain berry marshmallow and lemon sugar cookie.

    I was disappointed to learn that this item on their menu had no dairy-free milk option, as it is pre-mixed for heating and aerating I suppose! Since I had no time to change plans if I wanted to get home in time, my fellow and I decided to share a few sips of this one and then be on our way (with two small and very delicious vanilla raspberry Valentine’s cookies in hand).

    “Aloha Sweetie” was exciting as it was pink, rather than any expected shade of chocolaty brown. Hibiscus sounded interesting as well, and I considered how it may compare to my only other notable experience with hibiscus – The Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher from Starbucks. 



    I was surprised by how strong the hibiscus flavour was! It was potent, but not bitter. The flavour was stronger than that of the Starbucks Refresher, but kept sweet and smooth because of the white chocolate. It was also interesting to have the flavour warm, as I had only ever tried it ice-cold before. The marshmallow it came with was huge! It was “mountain berry” flavoured; I did try a bite, out of curiosity, and if I still ate gelatin I imagine it would have been a filling and fruity and yummy treat to indulge in. There was also a sugar cookie included; nothing noteworthy to say about it, other than it was cute and standard and enjoyable! I enjoy the ambience of this Kitsilano location and their selection of foods and other items beyond bread (who knew?)


    This one was not left empty; 
    but if you don’t mind dairy, I imagine
    you’ll have a good time!

     

  • HoCho Fest Day 14: Caffe Shakerato Con Cioccolato

    Two weeks! I’ve passed the halfway mark.

    Happy February 1st! Today’s post is likely to be short, as this festival item was not quite my ‘thing’, and I didn’t finish my half of the drink! It was just a little too much for me, as it was like a chocolate bar that melted and was put into an iced Americano (actually, that is more or less what it was, ha ha).

    I went downtown to visit Mink Chocolates today, one store in a small chain that a friend used to work for nearer to my house. They have an amazing array of treats (including cookies, pastries, and waffles!), chocolate beverages with all the necessary dairy alternatives, and even a personal chocolate fondue with fruit if you’re feeling up to it (it is cute-sized!).

    The location itself is beautiful, not far from Leonidas by the Vancouver Convention Centre and right near the ocean’s side! I also enjoy the interior of Mink stores; they are simple, elegant, and also contain a great deal of chocolate product (always an interior design plus).

    Iced espresso and warm 70% dark ganache.
    Served with a chocolate covered lemon, orange or grapefruit citrus peel. 
    Available: February 1 – February 14.
    ($8.93)


    As for my beverage: Like I said, it was a chocolate-ized Americano. Not in an “iced mocha” sort of way, but rather like an iced Americano with hot dark ganache mixed into it and oozing over the ice cubes inside. It was like consuming an espresso-infused chocolate bar that was melted.. Yet somehow ice-cold. 


    My final opinion would not be a bad one, so don’t take that away from my post! This was simply not a drink that I could consume on my own, nor one that I might choose regularly due to my aversion to coffee-flavoured items (which is becoming less strong, I might add, so this drink went over better than I had expected!). I didn’t exactly “drink” this beverage in the regular sense – it was a spoon-feeding sort of experience, as the ganache was in delicious chocolaty globs that I don’t imagine would have been easy to sip from the cup. 

    This drink came with either a chocolate-covered lime, orange, or grapefruit peel; it was a surprise to those who ordered it, as the baristo/as did not know which was which! They all looked the same. My company and I figured it was orange in the end, but the dark chocolate made it tough to taste which citrusy treat was hiding beneath the chocolate exterior (it was good, whatever it was).

    I suppose my main concern would be the price – almost $9 for what my feelings were while consuming almost-half of the drink did not feel worthwhile for me, but perhaps $9 for how full I would have been with thick ganache if I’d finished the whole thing may have made more sense!

    My first cold beverage will not deter me from trying more in the future, but today was a cold day that may have called for a warmer drink!

  • Help! Perpetuating the Chocolate Glory

    A simple (but personally valuable) favour to ask: 
    I ask that you please “like” the following photo on Facebook to help me in my endeavour to win the City Food Magazine’s Hot Chocolate Festival Photo Contest! Details about the contest are on their website. I would greatly appreciate this simple act on your part, as it would go towards my journey in next year’s festival and provide another four weeks of photography, deliciousness, and fun!

  • HoCho Fest Day 13: Twisted Romance

    What a sunny day we had here!

    With good company at my side, today’s hot chocolate festival visit took me to a spot I visited during last year’s festival: Gem Chocolates. To the unprimed eye, one may mistake the location for a small Bell outlet, based on its simplistic white and blue exterior – but when you walk inside, you are greeted with not the latest cell phones, but the delicious aroma of chocolates crafted by the store’s visionary, Glenn.

    Uncertain about the flavour, I ordered my Twisted Romance with soy milk rather than almond (slight uncertainty on Glenn’s face as he took my run-on-sentence order); you see, the second of three drinks offered at Gem’s is flavoured with Aussie black licorice (that’s how they’ve spelled it online, at least). As it has been some time since I indulged in anything of this flavour due to my acquired childhood aversion to it, I thought that the soy milk would cause less of a fuss flavour-wise.

    You’ll go gaga over hot chocolate made with Aussie natural black licorice. 
    Served with chocolate-dipped natural black licorice. 
    Available: January 25 – February 2


    I was surprised by my fondness of the drink – perhaps it was because I was being inducted into the black licorice world by way of creamy soy milk absorbing the stronger taste and not being shocked by it. AA and I both agreed that it was a very nice surprise! And beautifully topped with, what we eventually discovered was, chocolate dipped licorice (I couldn’t get a hold of it until I got to the bottom of the drink!).


    Alongside the drink, I was expecting the item listed online: chocolate-dipped natural black licorice. Out of kindness I’d like to think, Glenn acknowledged that A and I shared one beverage, and he gave us two types of treats: One, the chocolate-dipped licorice, and the other his “Zebra” creation. The Zebra (he pronounces it “zeh-bra” not “zee-bra”) is a “natural Australian black licorice infusion in dark ganache”… and it is delicious.

    The beverage was consumed with slight haste, as the sun was shining directly into the store window and was melting our chocolate and making it feel quite like summer time. Once complete, we turned our attention to Glenn, and I asked how he creates a black licorice-flavoured hot chocolate; his response was lengthy and sounded very impressive. Though I do not recall the process, I do know that he expressed his wishes for me to have tried it with almond milk, because it would have been a lighter milk and may have showcased the flavour a bit more. Kindly, again, he shared the raw ganache with us – prior to being added to a drink – and I think it would have been very good with almond milk!


    Amidst all of the enlightening conversation, I also learned why the shop is named as it is! But perhaps you should go speak to Glenn about that yourself, as it will give you a good excuse to enjoy a treat.




    Their next flavour has cherry and fig, so that should be fun!





  • HoCho Fest Day 12: The Jamaican Kiss

    A field trip downtown for myp hot took me nearer to some of the farther off locations of the festival, so I took advantage of this spare time and went to the Vancouver Convention Centre – such a beautiful place! I went in the wrong entrance, so I got to detour through a lower level to return to the West Plaza, and there is lovely art and design throughout, and I was all by myself to enjoy it. Eventually, with the help of an eager guide, I found Leonidas Chocolates.

    I had not realized how many options they offered for the festival, and was greeted with six when I walked in! This is two more than what is currently listed online. Tempted by the two darker chocolate options, I decided to resist and go with my decision made ahead of time: The Jamaican Kiss. There were also a handful of treats to choose from to accompany it (so many decisions…), these included: a small cheesecake, ice cream, a liege waffle, two pieces of fancy chocolate, or a macaroon flavour of my choice. I vouched for a dark chocolate ganache macaroon and sat down while I admired the quaint shop and looked over the ocean, where the mountains sat so close and wrapped in a sash of banner clouds in the dimming evening.

    When my drink arrived, I was immediately excited. I already knew the major components I would be tasting: Chocolate, coconut milk (with soy milk), and rum-infused pineapple purée (what?!), but it just LOOKED good – there was chocolate drizzled down the inside walls of the glass mug and they had decorated it with a cursive “L” for Leonidas! 

    Belgian Milk Chocolate flavoured with coconut, pineapple and rum. 
    Served with customer’s choice of liege waffle, cheesecake, chocolate, or a scoop of Italian ice cream.
    ($7.15)

    The first sip was very smooth, and all of the flavours were immediately evident and delicious! The strongest flavours were the chocolate mixed with soy and coconut milk, as they made up the body of the drink, but the pineapple purée made its way to the front of the drink, and the citrus taste of the pineapple was muted by the rum and the creamy milks.

    It was a full flavour, and nothing was overwhelmed or overwhelming – it tasted perfectly balanced. Perhaps important to note: I am a fan of pulp in juices. For this reason, I quite enjoyed that the pineapple purée was very much from real pineapple and added texture throughout the entire consumption experience.

    Leonidas is worth returning to. This conclusion is worth reaching based solely on the fact that drinking my beverage resembled drinking a warm, chocolaty piña colada! While that may sound unappealing at first, I can assure you… It is not.

  • HoCho Fest Day 11: Magnifique Brunette

    A wonderful end to the previous evening left me feeling relaxed today, a day where I had very little going on in the middle of my day, but commitments that required me to return by a decent hour to get things done with wifi available. I decided upon a more eastern location for hot chocolate today, and made my way over to French Made Baking.

    The great thing about some of these places is that when they seem to suggest a certain country of origin (such as Bella Gelatería from the other day), the individuals who are employed there have the background and accents to match! French Made Baking did not disappoint in this regard, as I asked the barista to repeat a handful of phrases because I am terrible with accents – it was great!

    With this festival being so full of things to experience, I always go for the combo when getting the hot chocolates (and always go to the gym before heading out to get them) – if there is a treat to be offered alongside the beverage, it will be included. Today’s bonus treat turned out to be double the fun – two chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons! They complemented the beverage, as its blend of flavours were almost exclusively chocolate and coconut.



    I paid what I thought to be a fair amount for the drink and its two rather filling treats alongside, and made my way to a artfully decorated table, small enough for two to share a couple of cappuccinos at, but not much more. It went along with the interior of the small café, which felt… French? I have never been to France, but this felt like what I would imagine it being like.

    Valrhona Araguani Dark Chocolate (72%) with coconut milk and toasted coconut. 
    Served with “Congolais” (coconut macaroon dipped in chocolate).
    Available: January 18, 24, 29 and Feb 3, 8, 13
    ($5.75)


    The dark taste of the chocolate settled on the back of my tongue, while the sweetness of the coconut milk and coconut shavings settled on my tongue’s tip. I had expected the drink to be thick and heavy, but it was instead surprisingly light and not overly filling; the macaroons took care of that aspect for me. If you are a fan of coconut flavour, this whole drink and snack experience should be very enjoyable! There are no hidden undertones or overtones or extra flavours thrown in – it is hot chocolate made with coconut milk, and it is great (speaking as a fan of coconut). The beverage was simple and, with its treats, made for a nice afternoon snack. The macaroons were sweet and full of chewy coconut texture, and the chocolate-dipped portion added some smoothness to each bite.

    French Made Baking appears to have a wide range of items available for lunch, snack, or thirst desires – and seeing “crepes” on the menu was a sure sign (for me) that the small location had promise to entice my return. I also happened to encounter and speak briefly with a woman who was also on a Hot Chocolate Festival journey of her own! She was trying to catch up after missing the first week, and was having two drinks each day (whew).

     Tomorrow should be fun!

  • HoCho Fest Day 10: The Campfire

    The day’s gray weather seemed to reflect my mood: Nothing too extreme, but somewhat low energy, and very much conducive to collapsing into a nap. This was not an ideal mental state with an interview later in the afternoon, but what better to help remedy a melancholy wave than with a cup of hot chocolate?


    I returned to my first stop in the festival to satisfy today’s chocolate quota, as it was close by and I was in a time crunch with my interview fast-approaching. Plus – the second option on their festival menu had looked very good when my friend had it. 
    With a couple of good folks, I headed off to Thomas Haas for the second time this month.
    A classic hot chocolate, only with smoky caramel, smoked Hawaiian sea salt.
    Served with vanilla marshmallows.
    ($5.95)

    The drink was meant to come with vanilla marshmallows, but they had run out of these (I likely would not have eaten them anyways, as gelatin is something I try to avoid despite its lack of explicitness in its non-vegetarian-ness).

    Anyways! As a replacement, they offered Grand Marnier-infused whipped cream (which I requested be left out) and provided DELICIOUS dark chocolate almond sugar cookies – however, they didn’t seem like the traditional sugar cookies – they were ooey gooey good on the inside! And did not crumble in the least. Perhaps I misinterpreted what the barista described to me.

    I ordered my drink to be made with almond milk, as I thought it would complement the rest of the beverage’s characteristics: Chocolate, smoky caramel, sea salt… The nuttiness of the almond milk made the dark chocolate flavour less heavy, and the “smoky caramel” left a pleasant aftertaste on the tongue while making the drink’s name come to life on the tastebuds.

    Towards the middle of the drink, the true caramelly flavour began to really show itself; evidently, the caramel usually drizzled atop the marshmallows had sunk straight to the bottom of the drink undetected! So, as the rest of the beverage disappeared, the caramel could more easily slip into each sip (deliciously). The Hawaiian sea salt was very subtle, and I probably would not have taken notice if not for the drink’s description being read ahead of time. I quite enjoyed this drink, and think soy milk would make its body feel more full; but the almond milk was lovely and light.

    I’ve begun to schedule where my next stops will be, so I look forward to trying something new tomorrow with some free time on my hands!


  • HoCho Fest Day 9: The Intimate Act

    Today was a slightly unpleasant day for my physical well-being – body aches, nasuea, foggy-headedness. The foggy weather made my state feel very real, but I trudged through the beginning of my day and wondered whether or not it was wise to get hot chocolate, particularly from the nearby location (due to time constraints) that was serving a white hot chocolate. I decided I may as well, as it was on my to-do list and I would feel worse for having not checked it off! With that, I made my way to Beaucoup Bakery & Café.

    The decor of the the café was warm and homey, and brought life to what would otherwise be a very industrial-looking neighbourhood. I was pleased to be offered the option of a small, medium, or large beverage; this way, I would pay less in the face of my upset stomach. I discovered that the flavour had, in fact, changed a day earlier than what was listed online – now it was milk chocolate rather than white chocolate! That was a step in the right direction, at least. I discovered with this change came a new flavour blended into the chocolate – passion fruit! My second of the festival and of my life of hot chocolate consumption. As this was my second time encountering passion fruit, I was sure to order it with soy milk rather than almond this time. 

    Milk Chocolate with passionfruit
    Served with a hazelnut cookie.
    ($3.15)
    Available: January 28 – February 5

    When the order arrived on the counter, it was a perfectly small drink with a small cookie on the side – 
    evidently, a white chocolate hazelnut strudel cookie. I detected no white chocolate, but the hazelnut was yummy and the wee cookie deliciously textured. I sat down and sipped my drink: Immediately evident milky chocolate flavour and equally evident passion fruit overtones. The creaminess of the soy and chocolate seemed to absorb the fruitiness in the way I would have liked for my first time with the flavour. It was a little milky for my preference, but it was small-sized and reasonably priced! The overall flavour was balanced and creamy, without an overpowering sense of passion fruit (which I appreciated).

    I would return for tea, baking, and a delicious pear sandwich!



  • HoCho Fest Day 8: The Evita

    Ah, the beautiful day arrived when it came time to go to Bella Gelatería! This was probably my favourite stop from last year’s hot chocolate festival, and this year it seems they somehow stepped up their game.. In a couple of ways.

    gBAR flavoured with salted caramel – Argentina style. 
    Served with Erin Ireland’s “To Die For” Banana Bread. 
    (~$8.50)

    The “gBAR” mentioned in the description is the frozen gelato bar; this is where the specific flavours of each of the 6 available hot chocolate festival items come from. The beverage comes as a more-or-less basic hot chocolate of varying darkness with soy and almond milk options available, and the gBAR is then stirred into the hot chocolate. My company and I each chose a different beverage flavour – Mine, the Evita; hers, Monkey’s Uncle; his, the London Foggy.

    The gBAR reminded me of a Fudgsicle in its texture – perfectly frozen and creamy and biteable without hurting the teeth! It was smooth with caramelly flavour, and it melted easily into the hot chocolate as I began to stir.
    As for the almond milk hot chocolate on its own, it was not particularly smooth. This was not bad, though, as it was “rough” with almond, nutty flavour and dark chocolate. After I mixed in the gBAR, it seemed there was too much hot chocolate for the flavour to be strongly mixed – and part of my bar fell into the bottom! I figured this may serve me well later, but in the mean time I could not continue stirring it with my tiny gBAR stick. There was a subtle caramel flavour at this point, however.
    3/4 of the way through the beverage, the lost and unstirrable chunk of gelato could be swirled into the hot chocolate with a couple swooshes of the cup. The caramel now became evident and cancelled the rough dark chocolate texture and the drink became smooth and creamy.
    The hot chocolate was delectable, and my company seems to have similar sentiments – we were VERY satisfied when leaving! Partially due to satiation as well, I would recommend going without being too full beforehand (but have something nutritious to absorb the chocolate blow!).
    There seemed to be a majority vote to return for gelato (a particularly strong vote from M to return for lavender gelato), so I imagine those photos will crop up one day. We ended our day with sushi and then headed back for football to make use of the deliciousness (it worked, we won).

    For more information about the “To Die For” Banana Braed, check this link.